Immigration: Residency news in Portugal

Portugal expanded its holding capacity for irregular migrants to 171 beds on Monday following the opening of a new wing at the Temporary Accommodation Centre (Centro de Instalação Temporária or CIT) in Porto. The Ministry of Internal Administration announced that the new capacity exceeds the European benchmark of 102 places. These facilities accommodate foreign nationals who are subject to judicial detention, entry refusal, or formal expulsion procedures.

The number of foreign residents in Portugal who acquired Portuguese citizenship fell by nearly 38% in 2025 compared to the previous year. Data shows that the number of naturalizations dropped from 20,624 in 2024 to 12,829 in 2025, with an even steeper decline observed among applicants living abroad.

New data from AIMA indicates that there were 1,585,854 foreign citizens residing in Portugal at the end of 2025. The Secretary of State for Immigration described the figures as a sign of stabilized policies and promised that a new integration plan will be released soon.

The Constitutional Court has unanimously ruled that the Return Law, which streamlines deportation processes for foreign nationals, is constitutional. While the Social Democratic Party (PSD) welcomed the decision as a job well done, other political groups including the Communist Party (PCP) and Livre have expressed concerns regarding potential humanitarian injustices, with some calling for a presidential veto.

The Constitutional Court has ruled that the Return Law is constitutional, clearing the way for its implementation. President António José Seguro had previously referred the legislation to the court in July due to concerns regarding its compatibility with the Constitution.

The head of state also notes that the “periods of deprivation of liberty, through administrative detention, of foreign citizens who have not committed any crime, are substantially increased”, stating that “proportionality of their duration and the possibility of judicial control” are necessary, even though “in the abstract, the Constitution allows for the deprivation of liberty”.

The Lisbon Administrative Court has ordered the Agency for Integration, Migration and Asylum (Agência para a Integração, Migrações e Asilo or AIMA) to schedule a residency permit application for a 19-year-old Brazilian man within seven days. The individual was recently deported after being detained at the airport, a situation his legal team attributes to a two-year delay by AIMA in processing his family reunification request.

President of the Republic António José Seguro has submitted the recently approved Foreigners and Asylum law to the Constitutional Court (Tribunal Constitucional or TC) for a preventive review. The President cited concerns regarding provisions that could allow for family separation, the expulsion of minor Portuguese children, and detention conditions in temporary centers. The court is expected to reach a decision by September 1.

Update: President also approves inheritance law

President António José Seguro has also promulgated a decree authorizing the Government to approve a new legal regime for undivided inheritances (heranças indivisas). This legislation allows for the sale of properties within such inheritances at the request of a single heir.

Foreign nationals with valid Portuguese residence permits can now use automated passport control gates at airports. Introduced by the Public Security Police (Polícia de Segurança Pública or PSP), this measure allows eligible residents to use biometric technology to speed up border crossings.

Parliament has approved a new organic law on nationality that increases the minimum residency requirement for citizenship to ten years. The legislation, supported by the PSD, the CDS – People's Party (CDS – Partido Popular or CDS-PP), the Liberal Initiative (Iniciativa Liberal or IL), and Chega, now awaits final review.

Investor interest in the Portuguese golden visa program has declined following a government decision to double the citizenship waiting period to 10 years. Immigration lawyers and fund managers report that the change, introduced in May, has led to investor withdrawals and a slowdown in new applications. The adjustment is part of broader government efforts to manage immigration levels.

The Lisbon Metropolitan Area (Área Metropolitana de Lisboa or AML) is coordinating with the Agency for Integration, Migration and Asylum (Agência para a Integração, Migrações e Asilo or AIMA) to establish a network of local support centers for migrants. The initiative, discussed by municipal officials and AIMA representatives, aims to improve integration services across the region.

A growing trend shows immigrants choosing to leave Portugal, either by returning to their home countries or relocating to Spain. Data from the International Organization for Migration (IOM) indicates that nearly 400 requests for return support were received by April, with a significant majority of those assisted being Brazilian nationals.

Portugal's updated nationality law has officially increased residency requirements for citizenship, extending the threshold from five to seven years for nationals of the Community of Portuguese Language Countries (Comunidade dos Países de Língua Portuguesa or CPLP). Immigrant associations have met with the Presidency to voice concerns regarding bureaucracy at the Agency for Integration, Migration and Asylum (Agência para a Integração, Migrações e Asilo or AIMA) and the impact of these legislative changes.

The government has submitted a proposal to reform the legal framework for the return of foreign nationals, citing failures in the current asylum regime. Minister of the Presidency António Leitão Amaro stated that the inability to execute returns is a serious problem, and the bill has moved to parliamentary committee for further debate.

Donations to cultural projects through the golden visa (autorização de residência para atividade de investimento) program reached nearly 46 million euros in 2025, a fourfold increase from the previous year. This residency pathway requires non-EU investors to donate at least 250,000 euros to state-approved cultural initiatives, such as museums and heritage restoration.

The Agency for Integration, Migration and Asylum (Agência para a Integração, Migrações e Asilo or AIMA) has acknowledged a procedural error in the residency renewal application of a nine-year-old Brazilian child. The agency confirmed that the previously issued notice requiring the child to leave the country has been cancelled and the process is being corrected.

Update: AIMA faces further criticism over residency errors

Reports have emerged of additional administrative errors, including a case where a 41-year-old Brazilian woman was incorrectly registered as a minor, and her husband was denied residency renewal due to alleged failure to prove housing. These cases have intensified public scrutiny regarding the agency's efficiency in processing residency applications.

The Assembly of the Republic (Assembleia da República) is reviewing amendments to the Nationality Law (Lei da Nacionalidade) this Wednesday to address concerns raised by the Constitutional Court (Tribunal Constitucional). The proposed changes include provisions for the loss of Portuguese nationality for individuals convicted of serious crimes with sentences of at least six years. While the government coalition is confident, the Socialist Party (Partido Socialista or PS) and Chega have not yet guaranteed their support for the revised text.

Update: PSD and Chega reach agreement on nationality rules

The Social Democratic Party (Partido Social Democrata or PSD) and CDS-PP have secured an agreement with Chega to pass the revised law. The deal, announced by PSD parliamentary leader Hugo Soares, includes stricter criteria for denying nationality based on convictions for criminal association and arms trafficking, while removing previous requirements regarding social welfare dependency.

The Institute of Registries and Notaries (Instituto dos Registos e do Notariado or IRN) is facing a backlog of approximately 516,000 pending citizenship applications. Immigrant groups report that the average waiting time for a decision has reached three years, leading some to compare the agency's delays to those of AIMA. The backlog affects all applicants, including the children and grandchildren of Portuguese citizens.

The Assembly of the Republic (Assembleia da República) will debate petitions on April 1st that propose changing how the five-year residency requirement for citizenship is calculated. The proposal suggests the countdown should begin when a foreigner first requests residency from the Agência para a Integração, Migrações e Asilo (AIMA), rather than when the permit is actually issued. Visa holders should note that this change could significantly shorten the total waiting time for Portuguese nationality (nacionalidade portuguesa).

Most political parties have criticized a proposal by Chega to require five years of legal residency before immigrants can access social benefits. Critics argue the bill is likely unconstitutional and discriminates against legal residents who contribute to the social security system. The proposal has united both left and right-leaning parties in opposition during parliamentary discussions. Residents awaiting residency should note that the bill faces significant legal and political hurdles and is unlikely to pass in its current form.